Word out of Thibodaux, La., is that Nicholls State won’t bring the paddle with it to Saturday’s game.

Kelly McElroy, from the Houma Today, writes:

Being Texas State is playing as a Football Championship Subdivision Independent and is receiving 11 more scholarships than other FCS teams while making the transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision where it will compete in the Western Athletic Conference in 2012, Nicholls athletics officials have decided not to play for the paddle this season.

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Nicholls Athletic Director Rob Bernardi said Tuesday that it won’t be making the nine-hour road trip with the Colonels.

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“Those types of games are based on conference rivalries,” Bernardi explained. “Texas State is no longer in the league and is committed to the (Western Athletic Conference), so I think that rivalry has ended. We don’t have them on the schedule from this point forward. Us keeping the paddle is clearly reasonable. It began as two conference opponents playing each other, and it’s going to end that way. Unfortunately for them, it’s going to stay here at Barker Hall.”